Keith Hudson's Musings

The obstinate Europeans

Although a lot of people in Britain are becoming increasingly exercised whether to remain in the EU or leave when they vote in the coming referendum — whenever it’s going to be. It’s increasingly obvious now that David Cameron wants it to be sooner rather than later because he wants to retire. What’s complicating matters somewhat in the last few days is that strong opposition is growing among Conservative MPs as to allowing George Osborne to be the kingmaker, either for his proteges — until recently — or for himself by default.

It really doesn’t matter whether the referendum is be held earlier or later this year, or what the result will be when it’s over. The fact is that micro-cracks are spreading in the Brussels bureaucrats’ dream. Despite being rescued twice with massivc bail-outs, Greece is again retrenching on their side of the bargain. The euro currency is being deliberately inflated — something the EU said it would never do, France’s economy is getting more deeply in trouble and Germany is refusing to give it any further rope. National barriers are going up between more member countries of the ‘free travel’ EU. Angela Merkel’s plan of further welcoming 200,000 Middle East refugees a year for several years has already come to a shuddering halt before it has actually started.

Each member country, each with its own language and each inheriting its own idiosyncratic habits and emotional responses, is obstinately refusing to be moulded from outside its own cultures by the people in Brussels.